At noon on August 21, at the press conference before the first leg of the ASEAN Cup 2026 final, coach Anthony Hudson said that the Vietnamese team possesses a squad with uniform quality, both in terms of individual ability and collective strength.
Looking at the entire Vietnamese squad, they possess very good professional quality, both individually and collectively. This is a team that is extremely well-organized and has very good tactical leadership. They are really a strong opponent," coach Hudson said.
According to the British strategist, Thailand has made serious preparations for the match and determined that respect for the Vietnamese team must be shown by approaching the match on the field.
In the preparation process, we must give them due respect, and that respect will be shown through the way we approach the match," Mr. Hudson shared.
However, coach Hudson also emphasized that Thailand does not want to be drawn into focusing too much on one individual on the Vietnamese team's side. He believes that the opponent's strength lies in the combination of players and tactical systems.
In the opposite direction, we also need to trust and inspire confidence in our players, because we also possess many good qualities, both in terms of individual ability and collective strength," coach Hudson said.
The coach of the Thai team set a goal for his players to create the best performance since the beginning of the tournament when entering the final.
The important thing is that we must ensure that tomorrow will be the best performance of the whole team at this tournament. That is what we are focusing on.
I completely believe in this team. That's all we thought of when we entered the match," coach Hudson said.
Regarding the preparation process for the final match, coach Hudson assessed that having more rest time helps Thai players recover their fitness and the coaching staff have conditions to build a more thorough tactical plan.
I am very happy to see so many people here. Our preparation process is going very well. I think having more time has helped the players recover their fitness, and also allows us two days of truly effective preparation," he said.
Coach Hudson said that the whole team is maintaining calmness before the important match. Thailand will continue to complete preparations after the training session and the final tactical meeting.
I believe that after today's training session and tomorrow's meeting, we will have the best preparation. This is a match that the whole team is extremely excited about. It is a great opportunity for the players and we will prepare very carefully for the match," coach Hudson emphasized.
The first leg final of ASEAN Cup 2026 between Thailand and Vietnam national team will take place on August 22 in Bangkok. This is a highly anticipated confrontation between the two leading teams in Southeast Asia.
